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16 December 2011

A four-year-old boy in Moyo District has been confirmed as having measles and his one-year old sister, also showing signs of the disease. Moyo was among 14 districts cited with prevalence of the disease. However, health workers in Gimara Sub-county where the case was confirmed, say the family of the boy has moved to Jinja District. The district disease surveillance officer, Mr Simon Amudra, said measles can affect people of any age group but it is more severe among children under five because they have low body immunity. Health officials said if the disease spreads, it would become unmanageable because the district lacks drugs for managing the symptoms. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease which can be prevented through vaccination. "We don't have drugs for treating measles but we only manage the signs and symptoms," Mr Amudra said. The district health officer, Dr Jimmy Opigo, said there is need to vaccinate all the children in the district below the age of five to prevent further infections.